But the former governor of Massachusetts did take an opportunity to hammer the president on his energy policies. While the White House has made a point of talking up renewable and environmentally-friendly energy sources, Romney made it very clear where he stands on the issue.

Romney said he wants to increase oil and natural gas production by encouraging drilling offshore and in Alaska and will greenlight the Keystone XL pipeline running from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Voters support the pipeline.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the oil and gas industry ranks in Romney’s top 10 contributing industries and has provided his campaign about $3.5 million in funding. Overall, Romney had received more than $6 million from the energy and natural resources sector as of the end of August, compared to the $1.6 million given to Obama.

Mentioned a couple times in the debate, Exxon Mobil is one of the largest supporters of the Republican Party, giving $1.2 million to conservatives in the 2012 election cycle and $82,350 of that to Romney.

Koch Industries, whose largest market is petroleum refining, also is a top donor to federal Republican candidates, having contributed about $1.5 million to them overall, including $21,450 to Romney, according to data on OpenSecrets.org.

OBAMA SETS NEW RECORD: After reaching $114 million in August, Obama’s re-election campaign had an even better September, Democrats with knowledge of the numbers confirmed to various news sources. The Wall Street Journal reported that the monthly figure was $150 million, counting funds brought in by both his campaign and the allied Democratic National Committee, and a source also confirmed that for CNN. The campaign hasn’t officially commented, and has until Oct. 20 to file its report with the Federal Election Commission.

In September, Obama began to climb in the polls of several swing states, as The New York Times and others reported, and passed the 50 percent mark in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Obama outraised rival Mitt Romney in August, but the Romney campaign has yet to release September numbers.

The president’s fundraising success was leaked the day after his first debate with Romney, an encounter that produced widespread criticism of Obama’s performance.

CONTRIBUTION CAPS UNCONSTITUTIONAL: Although Oregon voters approved a measure limiting campaign contributions way back in 2006, state officials have never put it into effect. Now the state’s Supreme Court has ruled they were right when they maintained they don’t have the authority to enforce it.

In the election six years ago, voters approved Measure 47, which capped contributions. But they voted against Measure 46, which was a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the new restrictions as an exception to the state’s guarantee of free expression.

Without the amendment, the high court was forced to agree with the Oregon Court of Appeals, asserting Measure 47 would be unconstitutional, and the state does not have the authority to execute the legal limits.

The ruling leaves Oregon with no limits on contributions to candidates.

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